Method for selecting network connection concentrators

Abstract

A selection method for selecting network connection concentrators for a given set of M≧1 communication paths usable by a communicating device. Each respective interface of the communicating device is connected to a respective path. The method includes the following acts: a) identifying a set (P1, P2, . . . , P_N) of N≧2 concentrators situated in at least one network to which the communicating device is connected, each concentrator making it possible to aggregate connections using a plurality of paths suitable for being used by the communicating device; b) obtaining the value of at least one quality of service parameter QoS(i,j) for at least one path i, where i=1, . . . , M, and for concentrators P_j reachable from the communicating device via the path i; and c) selecting at least one concentrator from the set on the basis of the quality of service values that are obtained. The method is applicable to the multipath TCP (MPTCP) protocol.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT / FR2016 / 050208, filed Feb. 1, 2016, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and published as WO 2016 / 128644 on Aug. 18, 2016, not in English.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications, and in particular to communications networks suitable for implementing the Internet protocol (IP). More particularly, the present invention relates to providing “added-value” services in IP networks, i.e. networks capable of performing processing that differs depending on the nature of the data traffic being conveyed in the network.[0003]The invention applies to any type of client device, such as a fixed or mobile terminal, or a residential gateway, or a business gateway, or indeed a network operator gateway. For reasons of concision, a client device of any type is often referre...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0042]means for avoiding degradation to the quality of a connection (which degradation may be caused by the multiple paths involved in the st...

Problems solved by technology

Nevertheless, it should be observed that the “MIF” characteristic is volatile, since the ability to use a plurality of interfaces depends on conditions of connection to the network(s), on the location of the device, or on other factors.

It may also be observed that a device does not know a priori whether it has the possibility of using a plurality of distinct paths for setting up a communication with a given third party.

Nevertheless, using multiple paths for setting up communications raises problems of various kinds.

This quality naturally varies from one access network to another, and may present differences that can be so great as to compromise setting up a multipath communication over the various access networks; the risk of a loss of integrity of the streams exchanged during the communication increases with any increase in such differences, to such an extent that the communication might become unintelligible.

These different quality levels can compromise setting up additional subflows in the context of a multipath connection.

The above-mentioned magnitude of the risk of integrity loss might incite the terminal to set up a simple connection only, even though that means losing the benefits characteristic of a multipath...

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